Robert Fisk on journalism: letter from a homeschooler to his father

This is a lecture by Robert Fisk, one of the worlds great journalists, on the subject of journalism. He discusses the use of language in US journalism at counter #650 and makes a very good point. The transcript is below.

(Drag counter to #650)

It continues here:

Transcript:Fisk:
I’m very struck by the way in which, over and over again, American newspaper editors (this happens elsewhere, but particularly here) bemoan the falling circulation of their papers. And when I come here and read your newspapers, I’m not surprised at all. It’s not just because of the pap that they publish about the major crises and the bloodshed. It’s not just that. It’s not even well written. There’s not even a literary style in it. It’s like they don’t care about words.

I bring this up with you for a very specific reason. I’m going to quote now from a letter written home by a US marine major in Ramadi. He’s writing to his dad.

This is a real letter… He’s trying to get the Iraqis to join in with local government, to participate, in the government of Ramadi. I don’t agree with everything he says, but this man speaks with an eloquence worthy of Joseph Conrad. This is an American Marine:
(reading)

We are trying to empower [the Iraqis] to walk post instead of Marines but the graft has not yet taken. There is something culturally childishin their understanding of basic Western governance and management thatwill require immeasurable education and probably several generations toovercome if they find it of any interest. That education is, of course,a choice that they have to make on their own. They are not our people.Our understanding of their tribal governance and its relationship toformal civic management is equally naive and charges our frustration.The problem now is that their every inconvenience has become ourresponsibility. They act as if they can not comprehend our sacrificesand are thus ungrateful for them. The reality is that they can not,culturally, comprehend our altruism or believe our stated intentions.Even though it is not their desire to offend, we are insulted and itbleeds us of affection and tolerance. Liberation will compete withinvasion as our legacy but locally we are ideologically irrelevant. Ourpresence is, mostly, only of interest to those who seek to benefit fromour contracts and donations. It is a region of people making alliances,business deals, friendships and enemies one day at a time without areal concept of sustainable services, resources, or trust. No future.Just daily survival as they know it. Family and tribe. Ourcontributions may be counted long after we have withdrawn but they willnot recount the names of the fallen. So many now. Each wound will beabsorbed into the quiet sadness that we allow to pass beneath us as apeople and a country. Our loss will have never even occurred to mostpeople here.

Fisk:
This guy also has a sense of humor and again, I’m asking: when did you ever read anything like this in an American newspaper? A US marine writes better than
journalists.

Here’s the same soldier and here I dare you not to laugh, writing about the provisional government in Ramadi. Remember here he’s writing to his dad.

(reading)

So what news about the new government you may ask. Well the ProvisionalMilitary Governor was replaced by the Transitional Governor whoresigned under threat and was replaced with another TransitionalGovernor. He was then replaced by the Emergency Appointed Governor whowas just replaced by the selected Governor chosen by the electedProvincial Council. He never made a speech or publicized his views,never debated the other candidates and was not present during theselection, never making an acceptance speech. He was promptly kidnappedby a rival tribe while his tribe fought another tribe on the Syrianborder. The recently displaced Emergency Appointed Governor returned inhopes of regaining the position however, the Deputy Governor is nowserving as the Acting Governor while the actual Selected Governor is incaptivity. But there was an election so democracy is in full bloom I amto understand.

We are now trying to force the power of decision onto

the elected Provincial Council and the city officials. It is adifficult thing to keep myself inactive in matters of governance here.The instinct to impose order and command the requisite discipline inthe Iraqi leadership must be quelled in order to allow sovereignstewardship to develop at its native pace and in a native form. I fightmyself to remain insignificant in the process. I haven’t the nature forpassive observation. I share the American fascination with action andit has consistently betrayed us in our foreign policy. Our continuedinvolvement will continue the state of dependency and our eventualdeparture will leave nothing but cosmetic structure here. Iraq willreturn to what it is. Our common sense is not common to this people andthat understanding must be given proper respect. I do my best but Itwitch with an urge for the folly of intrusion.

Fisk:
Yes, he deserves your applause, but we journalists don’t write like that! When have you ever read anything like this in the LA Times, in the San Francisco Chronicle, or the Orange Country Register? This is the problem.

However, in lauding the prose of this “unschooled” soldier, Fisk fails to take homeschooling into account. He does not mention (and perhaps did not know) that Major Ben Busch, the soldier writing to his his father, is the son of Frederick Busch — see below. His prose clearly reveals that homeschooling, formal or not, can indeed play a very significant role in the development of such qualities as verbal prowess.